You are loved with an everlasting love by the creator of the universe.    When your child was about to be born, if the Doc came to you and said that the child would not live, they needed a new heart.  You and your spouse both would have said, fine, cut me open take my heart and give it to the child, now.   Turns out God said the same thing.  Before you were born, God saw that you needed a new heart because of the sin you would eventually choose to commit.  Jesus said, cut me open now.  Give them my heart.  And so God did.  He allowed Christ to be cut open on a cross to save your life.   Then when you realized you needed it, you accepted Jesus’ salvation.

Isn’t it great to know that God loves you that much?  Live like it this week.

I’m personally against the idea of tattoos. However, I’m considering getting this tattooed on my hand so I’ll see it every single day.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV) Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

So, sometimes we see ourselves as more/less effective than other times. But it doesn’t really matter what we see, or even what we do, as long as we give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, nothing we do will EVER be in vain.

So, did I ever tell you about the time I preached the sermon that was so bad I spent the invitation praying asking for forgiveness from God for such a bad sermon. Promising to work harder next week, etc… Then after the service, the music leader said, wow, that was great. I said what was great? She said all those people kneeling at the altar during the invitation… I totally missed out on the blessing of seeing that because I was doubting that God could speak through a donkey like me. [see OT: Balaam's Donkey]

I was reminded today of something God can’t do.  Interesting that we often think God can do anything. But when we think about it, we know He can’t be anything other than a loving God.  He can’t sin. And He can’t NOT love us!  This was encouraging to me.  But the main thing He can’t do, is ‘please everybody’.   So if God can’t please everybody, what makes us think that we can?  So, be encouraged today as you serve Him and His people.  Don’t worry if you can’t please everybody, just love them all like He does, and get on with His work.

I remember studying and teaching on the verses 6 – 8 below.  But I don’t know that I every took serious notice of 10-15.  These verses, 10-15 describe you:

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 (NIV)
⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” ¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. ¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ¹³ Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!